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Mixtel90

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Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 9280

Posted: 11:23am 31 Oct 2026

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I've done a bit better myself and I was a draughtsman, not a panel wirer. The lads took a dim view of my efforts!

Those printable wire tags on the PLC are too chunky for that job IMHO. We stuck to ferrules threaded on. I always preferred the coloured ones, which use the resistor colour code so are perfectly readable even if the ferrules have turned round.

Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini

PhenixRising
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Joined: 07/11/2023
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2125

Posted: 11:48am 31 Oct 2026

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Mixtel90 said
Those printable wire tags on the PLC are too chunky for that job IMHO. We stuck to ferrules threaded on. I always preferred the coloured ones, which use the resistor colour code so are perfectly readable even if the ferrules have turned round.

Absolutely

And the Swiss machine was worse...no idents at all. Only the terminal numbers on the components which are almost impossible to make-out.

It's one thing to build a panel on a workbench but to then have to work with it in the field can be really frustrating.

phil99

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Joined: 11/02/2018
Location: Australia
Posts: 3421

Posted: 12:12pm 31 Oct 2026

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For fault finding the most difficult control cubicle I came across was for a Thompson CSF terminal approach radar motor drive.
All the wiring was very neatly and tightly laced up but it was all white. All the control wiring, the phases, neutrals and earths.
On the ends of each wire a three letter abbreviation of the French word for its function was printed in light grey.

It was a 3 speed induction motor so had a star-delta starter for each set of windings, with interlock circuits to ensure only one set could be driven at a time.
Edited 2026-10-31 22:27 by phil99

PhenixRising
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Joined: 07/11/2023
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2125

Posted: 12:43pm 31 Oct 2026

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phil99 said For fault finding the most difficult control cubicle I came across was for a Thompson CSF terminal approach radar motor drive.
All the wiring was very neatly and tightly laced up but it was all white. All the control wiring, the phases, neutrals and earths.
On the ends of each wire a three letter abbreviation of the French word for its function was printed in light grey.

It was a 3 speed induction motor so had a star-delta starter for each set of windings, with interlock circuits to ensure only one set could be driven at a time.

I feel bad for the in-house maintenance crews because nothing is designed to be easy to work-on anymore.

These field-bus architectures are a complete con; "less wiring required". Maybe but you can't diagnose a problem with a DMM anymore. Everything requires a laptop (in many cases, XP-only and a valid license) and the RS485 link has a proprietary connector and costs $$$.

mozzie
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Joined: 15/06/2020
Location: Australia
Posts: 486

Posted: 03:46pm 31 Oct 2026

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G'day,
This is going to start to sound like the old "When I was a lad....."

Having worked in both industrial automation and automotive automation fields, I can pretty confidently state that the automotive is far worse.

Consider a truck cabin, on top of the 1000000miles of factory 1 or 3 coloured wires numbered randomly, jammed into a space with airlines / air conditioning / heater pipes and vehicle controls, in a space probably too small to begin with, CAN and a couple of other BUS systems added for kicks, we now add our own systems to make whatever wonder device the body builder sticks on the back work as well.

Then a few other wonder auto-elecs / mechanics / apprentices add a few more circuits and chop into a few others for random fun, sprinkling random relays as they go. (its only 12/24v, she'll be right)

Over time and with the addition of soft drink / beer / sweat / dust / water / food scraps making an abrasive paste most of the markings will wear or fall off leaving a snake of mainly white / black / yellow / brown wires vanishing into places you can neither see nor reach.

Most of the manufacturers no longer provide circuit diagrams unless you threaten to remove a few private parts, the guys on the floor will help as far as they can.

A couple of the better brands use colour + trace wiring and diagrams, most do not. There is no standard colour coding.

There is never enough room for a decent size control panel so its always 1/4 the size it really needed to be and contains 3 other systems as well. Also has to be as light as possible.

The best part is normally the whole system is contained within and powered from the vehicle, and within reason its all 24vdc and J1939 CAN. No SCADA etc spread out forever and interlocks etc 4 blocks away.

And the stupid thing is I loved doing it, must be a bit mad

Regards, Lyle.

Mixtel90

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Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 9280

Posted: 05:51pm 31 Oct 2026

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Oh, if you want crazy... One of my favourite jobs was replacing a very old PLC in an underground waste water pumping station. Once you got used to the all-pervading smell it was a great place to work. Always nice and warm and dry no matter what the weather was doing. I used to like pumping stations in general. :)

Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini

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